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Bylsma to drop ceremonial first puck

09/25/2013, 12:15pm MDT

By USAHockey.com

Dan Bylsma will drop the ceremonial first puck at the CCM/USA Hockey All-American Prospects Game Thursday (Sept. 26) at CONSOL Energy Center, home of the National Hockey League's Pittsburgh Penguins. The head coach of the 2014 U.S. Olympic Men's Ice Hockey Team is in his sixth season as head coach of the Penguins.

Bill Guerin, who will be inducted in the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame this fall, will present the Gillette Player of the Game Award in a postgame ceremony. Guerin is the Pittsburgh Penguins player development coach.

In five seasons behind the Pittsburgh Penguins bench, Bylsma has led the franchise to a Stanley Cup championship in 2009, received the Jack Adams Award as the NHL's Most Outstanding Coach in 2010-11 and delivered the best record in the Eastern Conference in 2012-13. His regular-season record of 201-93-25 marks the best regular-season winning percentage in team history (.669) and the second-best win total among Pittsburgh coaches. Bylsma became the fastest coach to post 200 victories when he reached the plateau in just 316 games on April 23, 2013.

Bill Guerin played the final 95 games of his 18-year NHL career for the Pittsburgh Penguins. Acquired late in the 2008-09 season, he helped the Penguins win the Stanley Cup that spring. Upon his retirement in 2010, he had earned 429 goals and 427 assists over his 1,263-game career. He wore the Team USA jersey at seven major international events throughout his career, including three Olympic Winter Games (1998, 2002, 2006), two World Cups of Hockey (1996, 2004) and two IIHF World Junior Championships (1989, 1990). He collected an Olympic silver medal in 2002 and helped the U.S. win the gold medal at the 1996 World Cup.

Opening faceoff for the CCM/USA Hockey All-American Prospects Game is set for 7:00 p.m. (EDT).

Notes: Dylan Pavelek has been added to the CCM/USA Hockey All-American Prospects Game roster. Austin Poganski and Greg Betzold will not play due to injury ... FASTHockey.com will provide a free-for-view stream of the CCM/USA Hockey All-American Prospects Game ... Both practices prior to the game Thursday will be open to the public. Team Johnson will skate from 10:00 a.m.-10:30 a.m. while Team Mullen takes to the ice from 10:45 a.m.-11:15 a.m. ... Team Mullen will wear blue uniforms and Team Johnson will wear white uniforms. The CCM-designed jerseys for the event can be viewed here ... Danton Cole, head coach for USA Hockey's National Team Development Program Under-18 Team, will serve as Johnson's assistant coach, while John Gruden, assistant coach for USA Hockey's National Team Development Program Under-18 Team will serve as an assistant to Mullen ... Players selected to compete in the CCM/USA Hockey All-American Prospects Game were chosen by USA Hockey in conjunction with NHL Central Scouting ... Twelve states are represented on the roster. Minnesota leads the way with eight, while New York is second with six and Michigan has five. California and Illinois have four apiece. Other states include Colorado, Massachusetts, Missouri, New Hampshire, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. ... Additional staff for the event include General Manager Jim Johannson, Athletic Trainer Andrew Baker, Equipment Manager Brock Bradley and Director of Hockey Operations Tom Minton.